Holla Back NYC empowers New Yorkers to Holla Back at street harassers. Whether you're commuting, lunching, partying, dancing, walking, chilling, drinking, or sunning, you have the right to feel safe, confident, and sexy, without being the object of some turd's fantasy. So stop walkin' on and Holla Back:
Send us pics of street harassers!

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Assclowns in Frisco

So, I was walking from the bank near the corner of 4th and King, running morning errands and minding my own business. The pedestrian light starts turning red, and so, I make a run for it. Suddenly I hear, "Where you running to, beautiful?" Ugh. I snap pic 1 of him doinghis cruise walk. I pick up the pace, and my boyfriend calls through, yet this wanker won't give up, as he keeps calling after me, asking, "Hey gorgeous, who you on the phone to?"

Suddenly I think: "Hollaback Moment!"

I hang up with my boyfriend, and when I look up, this guy is STANDING in front of me! I take a step back, hold my phone up and ask, "Can I take your picture?" He gets weird and starts mumbling about why I want to take his picture, but I say, in my sweetest voice, "I MUST take your picture, so I can remember you. You know?" He says his name is "Anie"(Thanks assclown!), and wants to see the pic. I take it (thanks again, assclown) and show him. He's pleased with the way it looks.

But then, he won't leave me alone. He follows me all the way back to my loft, offers me weed, cigarettes, and then says he wants to be my boyfriend(ugh!), and has now managed to get in the front door of my building, and won't leave until I give him a hug.

I can't tell you how satisfying it is to share this experience, and his pics :) Thanks Hollaback!

Monday, February 27, 2006

Spread 'em

So i'm at this bar Lolita (should have KNOWN better) at broome and allen streets in the lower east side. i go downstairs to find the bathroom and see three guys in line so i ask the guy closest to me if it's a co-ed bathroom so i don't waste my time waiting for the men's room. He turns around, flashes a cool-aid smile and says "yeah, it's moving pretty fast though baby". i think to myself, okay nice happy guy. Of course i barely had that thought in my head for two minutes when he took the opportunity to destroy it. he turns around again and says "you can come in with me if you spread 'em!!". Before I could register the extremely high disgust factor of what he just said, he started going on and on about how good his "aim" was, which no matter how you slice it or even if you understand it, is beyond disturbing. BUT, I let him keep going just so i had time to reach for my phone and fumbled around in the dark for the camera option so i could take this asshole's picture. Then i told him "no thanks, i'll wait the extra few minutes" and I was about to snap him when he laughed and said "you're not taking my picture are you....is this for one of thoooooose websites". What I should have said was "what websites? one SUCH AS the amazing hollabacknyc.com where you can post up absolutely revolting comments that expose people like you, with your face to take the credit?" but instead I only got the back of his head when he was going into the bathroom. But considering what his face looked like, he's lucky this is the shot going up.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

This Goddess Has a Problem

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Dirty Old Men

As I'm walking down Broadway, the man on the left hisses "niccccccce." I ignore him, when again I hear "niccccccccce." I turn around to see if this old dude actually has the nerve to harass me. He lifts his cane, points it up and down my body, and with raised eyebrows repeats, "niccccccccccce."

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Girl, you can take my picture everyday!

THE SCENE: Me, walking down Broadway between 178 and 179th streets on a 60 degree day in February, enjoying my lunch break. Mr. Man is heading my way with his buddy, and gives me an exaggerated look up and down.

Mr. Man: Yo baby, you're gorgeous! I wanna hit that! Mmmmmmmmm.....Me: (walking, walking, and then bam: 180) Sir, can I take your picture?Mr. Man: Why do you want to take my picture?Me: Because I'm taking pictures of everyone who thinks I'm pretty today.Mr. Man: Girl, you can take my picture everyday!

The weirdest part was, as soon as I started talking to him I could sense that he wasn't a kidnapper, rapist, or even really an asshole. He was just a confused guy with absolutely no lady skills. Still, if I hadn't turned around for the HOLLABACK, I would have walked on feeling a little shaken and self-conscious. How I am supposed to know which are the nice guys and which just don't get it?

Saturday, February 18, 2006

"Hollllaaaaa" right back at you!

Okay, so it's not New York or even America but whatever, it still irritated the hell out of me. I am 13. I moved to Barcelona a few months ago from London and I have found the attention here to be a lot more blatant than in England. For example: The other day I was in the park going for a walk. I was strolling through, enjoying the sights as one does when a guy of about 25 walks past, stares at me and goes "Hollllaaaaa'. When I ignore him he goes "Hola, guapa!" (Hello beautiful) and WINKS at me. I walk faster and get away, feeling freaked out but glad I'msafe. A few minutes later, I come across him again, this time sitting on a bench. At which point he ponts his middle finger at me, SUCKS ITand gives me the most lecherous stare I have ever seen. It was only after I'd got away that I realised I should have taken a picture. It wasn't only the way he talked to me that bothered me, it was the fact that I am blatantly a 13 year old girl, and not going to screw him. I guess the fact that afterwards I felt like kicking his head in for treating me like an object didn't bother him.

Water Pistols? Seriously, Boys.....

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture.

I was walking to a meeting when I heard some shouting. This being a crowded sidewalk in NYC, I ignored it because surely they weren't yelling at me. Simultaneously I felt a drip of water. But being that this was the City in the summer, I assumed it was the air conditioning, and continued on. Once again, I felt a more direct spray of water, and when I turned around there were two men in a garbage truck...with water guns. These jackasses actually sprayed me with a water gun to get my attention! When I turned around they started shouting and making obscene gestures.

This made me wonder...what would happen if the women of NYC carried around water guns full of say, vinegar, or maybe some terrible cologne, to use on these kind of obnoxious men?

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Open Letter to That Asshole on St. Mark's Place

My friend Mari and I had been discussing how placid our lives have become since school ended, now that we have traded the emotional highs and lows of college life for steady paychecks, steady relationships and predictable routines.

Fortunately, however, you appeared with pleasingly ironic timing to shake us out of our complacency. We were just placidly browsing along St. Mark’s Place when you suddenly told Mari and me about that very naughty thing you wanted to do with us. And not just you, but the guy who was working with you, too! Thanks!

We hurried into the store next door, and I thought about you for a few minutes (oh yes, I did). I finally decided to preserve the experience for my Internet scrapbook (i.e. my blog) by taking a photo of you with my handy camera-phone. I don’t understand why you looked so surprised. How could I let this precious moment slip by without taking a photo?

I also don’t understand why you didn’t answer me when I asked you why you said those things to us. After all, you did initiate the conversation, and I genuinely wanted to know. And I don’t understand why you got so angry when I mused out loud that it might be because you’re an ugly pervert who gratifies himself by harassing random women. After all, I thought you might also want to know how it feels to be treated like a piece of meat.

I think you should be honored to know that you’re the first man I’ve ever snapped back at. Over the three years I’ve lived in New York City, I’ve had many strange men do and say extraordinarily nasty things to me. In fact, some of the things they’ve said or done have been even nastier, and even more degrading. But you, dear sir, are the first.

I’ve been told that I should just get used to it; that, being a woman and all, I need to take it for granted that I will be harassed on the street. But while I have become a bit complacent, I like to think that I haven’t yet mutated into a doormat.

Hugs and kisses (not really),Catherine

P.S. By the way, if you’re going to sexually harass someone, try not to do it while you’re at work. I think that sock store deserves more attentive employees. Plus, with all those frilly anklets in stock, your boss might not be happy if you start scaring away the lady customers.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Bucket o' Jersey

I was on the PATH train minding my own damn business when I heard a bunch of grunting and laughing from behind me. It was this group of assholes - first they were making fun of a homeless manwho was selling newspapers on the train. When I turned around, the one on the right yelled something uncomprehensible at me. I looked away, and heard the dumbass on the left: "What, are you a dyke or something?" The first one also had a bunch of nasty dandruff flakes all over his coat collar, gross.

They were totally absorbed in their stupidass bantering (they had moved on to other targets) and didn't even see me bust out my phone and snap a photo. It was the first time I did it and a little scary,butI encourage all the grrls to get up close for them photos if it's safe - these fuckers need exposure & humiliation!-jenna

Friday, February 03, 2006

Lend an Ear

I am commuting home late at night from a long shift at the restaurant. I am behind another tired woman who looks as though she has just come off of work too. This dude keeps trying to get her attention and trying to talk to her. Even as we pass him and go into the subway he keeps grabbing the bars and licking his lips. If it was in slow mo' it would have looked like someone trying to be sexy in a music video. As I walk by he tries to speak to me and get me to listen to his message saying, "escucha."

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Wal-Mart: Always Low Prices, American Made Harassment

The one thing I find extremely difficult and unfair is the helplessness felt by women who work in the customer service industry. There are rules and regulations dealing with sexual harassment from fellow coworkers. But when the harassment comes from acustomer that we're supposed to be nice to, what can we do?

I used to work as a cashier at Wal-Mart (or as I call it "The Den of DOOM"). There was this one guy there who would always come to my line. I saw him at leastonce a week. He would acually seek me out! Once I had a technical problem with one customer's purchase. When another cashier opened her line, everyone moved to the other line except him! I thought the creep was stalking me.

He would come up to me, and leer and stare at me. Unfortunately I had to wear a name tag so he knew my name. I've never heard my name sound so disgusting before. He would ask me when I got off from work, and if I would go out with him. And all I could do was be polite, say no, and try to keep busy when what I really wanted to do was tell him to back the f*** off.

The town I used to lived in at the time used to publish the names and pictures of people who had been arrested for DUI. (I guess as a way to warn others to watch for them on the road?) I saw his face in one of these columns. I wasn't surprised, but I had noticed he had an unusual name.

One day at work a lady came up to me and asked me to page her husband to meet her at my register. Her husband's name sounded so familiar, but it wasn't until I saw it was The Creep walking up to her that I finally put it together! He'd been trying to spin me his tired game and he comes to find me there with *his wife*! When I saw the look on his face, I couldn't help but burst out laughing!

The next time he tried to bothered me, I asked him how his wife was. He turned red and sped off. He never bothered me after that!

Keep up the good work!~ Angel H.

P.S. I'd also like to mention that I am a very overweight woman. So when people say that harassment only happens to certain women or that the women should expect this kind of treatment, just point them in my direction. I have plenty of other stories to tell.